Senegal's Constitutional Council on Friday rejected the presidential candidacy of jailed opposition leader Ousmane Sonko on the grounds that his file was incomplete, his lawyer said.

The 49-year-old, who had filed to take part in the February 25 presidential election, is at the center of a dispute with the state that has lasted more than two years.

The decision came after the Supreme Court upheld a six-month suspended sentence for Sonko for defamation.

Sonko's lawyers had maintained he still had the right to contest the presidential vote despite his legal woes. However, the state has refused to provide him with the documentation necessary to stand. 

"The sentence and fines have been confirmed. Sonko lost on all counts," state lawyer El Hadji Diouf said after the ruling was delivered by Supreme Court Judge Abdourahmane Diouf. 

The state lawyer hailed the top court verdict, announced early on Friday, as a "great victory," and added that Sonko was "now totally banned from taking part in an election."

Who is Ousmane Sonko?

Sonko — who has a dedicated following among Senegal's disaffected young people — is viewed as a strong potential candidate in the contest to succeed President Macky Sall, who is standing down after two terms. Sall is seen as having handpicked his prime minister, Amadou Ba, to be the presidential candidate for his ruling coalition.

The standoff has sparked repeated episodes of deadly unrest. Sonko's chances of running for president could be finally scuppered by the latest court decision.

Senegal's electoral commission is reviewing applications for the February 25 election and is due to publish a final list of cleared presidential candidates by January 20. Senegal's Constitutional Council is also expected to rule on the matter later on Friday.

Sonko's pan-Africanist rhetoric and tough stance on former colonial power France has found favor with Senegal's large population of unemployed youth.

He has enjoyed a meteoric political rise in the last few years, being elected to parliament and becoming mayor of the southern city of Ziguinchor.

What are Sonko's legal woes?

Sonko came third in the 2019 presidential election but was handed a two-month suspended prison sentence and a hefty fine in March for defamation and insults against Senegalese Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang.

An appeal court later extended the term to six months. According to the law, Sonko cannot contest the election while this conviction is upheld.

Sonko was initially removed from the list of candidates after he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in June for morally corrupting a young person.

He has been imprisoned since the end of July, facing other charges, including inciting insurrection, conspiracy with terror groups, and compromising state security. Sonko has denied the charges, claiming they are politically motivated.

rc/nm (AFP, Reuters, Lusa)